Rating Confidence and Reflection essay 
Introduction
I am a high school graduate waiting to join a nursing school. My dream career has always been becoming a nurse since I will have a chance to help people in my community. Before joining the nursing school, I have to rate my level of confidence in different aspects of education. I have already rated my confidence and I know my strengths, weaknesses and abilities as I undertake my college life. Therefore, I reflect on these abilities, strengths and weaknesses to assist me in higher education and the nursing profession. Below is my essay in which I have reflected on my role as a student in higher education, and my role as a future healthcare practitioner. I apply the Gibbs model (1988) to write the essay. This model will assist in describing my experiences in education, strengths, abilities, weaknesses, their evaluation as well as analysis. This will assist in coming up with an action plan. The Gibbs model is applicable for nurses since it helps in describing events already experienced and their implications for the nursing practice.
Description and Feelings
I have graduated from high school with qualifications to join a nursing college in my country. This achievement requires that I evaluate different aspects of education to determine my strengths, weaknesses and abilities. I have had numerous experiences in my high school life which will assist me in planning for my first year in higher education as well as determine my future as a health practitioner. A description of my experience and the feelings attached to them is also important in allowing for further evaluation and analysis of these experiences to determine how effectively I fulfill my roles in education and a future health practitioner. In school, l have learnt correct hand washing styles, documentation and fluid balance ,TPR chart, Fluid balance and Urine testing important for nursing practice. I have also undertaken First aid lessons (recovery position and CPR) which are important skills for a nurse . This module will provide the building blocks for the evidence based knowledge and skills which will enable me to achieve the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standard for progression. (Janice & Alterio 2003). I feel that my current academic achievements are a great foundation to a future career in the field of nursing
I have also assessed my relationship to my peers in academics
I can easily present subjects to a group, seek clarifications where necessary and participate effectively in discussions. My academic life has required that I easily work with other people as a team to effectively grasp concepts. This has contributed greatly to my achievement to enroll in a college that deals with healthcare. My ability in mathematics and statistics is rather average. I have been a thinker with critical skills in reflecting through my performance to determine my weaknesses and correct them. This has opened my mind to different styles of learning and determining which styles that I am good in. Academic writing has always been my weaknesses in high school with a difficulty in differentiating different writing styles. However, I have worked on this to achieve an average level. This has also been the case with language use in independent writing especially during lectures where notes are not provided. However, with my great abilities in grasping concepts fast, listening skills and teamwork, I feel that I have the ability to improve my weaknesses especially in my first year in higher education.
Evaluation and Analysis
As a student, my main role in higher education is to participate actively in lectures to complete studies on advanced clinical and didactic education. This involves reading different academic texts as recommended by educators. Higher education involves specialization of a specific area of study. My specialization is nursing, which is a field with a wide scope of concepts that one requires to grasp. Therefore, my role as a student will be to attend all lectures and take important notes during the lectures. I am also required to go through detailed texts such as nursing textbooks, journals, and articles to find key information, an area that I am currently weak at. The use of academic material will also be crucial to ensure that I pass in my first year as a nursing student. As a student, I am also required to team up with my classmates to discuss on complex concepts after lectures. This is will ensure that we are able to work as a team in seeking clarification to other people in the course of our education as well as evaluate the work of others critically. It is also the role of each student to respect the well-being and safety of others during their time in school. I will ensure that I fulfill this to assist me in achieving my objectives in higher education.
Higher education differs from other lower levels because it requires independent research on different areas of a specified field of study. My role as a student will be to undertake training in the university, develop my character and self awareness through a range of disciplines. It is important that I observe carefully what is going on not only in the institution but also in the community. This is because graduating from a nursing college involves both the practical and theoretical study. This will help me to study the ravages, challenges, and changes brought on by many factors such as providing care for women in the society. As a student, I will be able to develop critical thinking to help manage nursing care and work within a team of intellectuals when meeting the needs of the patients. My role as a student will also extend to searching for relevant sources of information in research papers. The sources will include the internet, the library and other databases with understanding of statistics being a major requirement. Research will require statistical inferences which demands that I have efficient knowledge in statistics (Linda & Roberts 2006)
My roles as a future healthcare practitioner will be determined by my academic achievements. I plan to finish my course and advance in clinical and didactic education to become a nurse practitioner. My main roles as a nurse with Midwifery Council Standards for progression will be to undertake different antenatal and postnatal care programs for women. I will be required to take physical exams, comprehensive history as well as giving diagnostic tests and treatments. As a nurse I should to learn to apply theory to practice. This will assist in dealing with unfamiliar issues appropriately. I should also seek solutions through lateral thinking
It is required that I develop a kind and caring attitude. Patients need a nurse whom they can trust. This way, patients can sense my competency which will assist me in career development as a nurse.
Action Plan
I have always wanted to become a nurse since I knew about their roles in the field of medicine. To achieve this, I must focus on academics to ensure that I graduate with an honors degree. This will be possible if I focus on my weaknesses in education. This is possible by reviewing my confidence rating to determine the aspects of education that I am weak at and plans on how to improve on them. The first aspect which I plan to improve on is skimming and scanning of texts to locate relevant points and information. I plan to identify different journals related to my studies. I plan on ensuring that I can draw from previous learning and apply it in future. I will also apply logical thinking in my studies as well as in my practice. I will also be brave in order to avoid panic in new surroundings. This way, I can plan and deliver care with confidence.
My IT skills have improved greatly since I learnt that this is a major weakness for me. I can now use all database programs applied in the school I will attend and I can use them to create tables, queries and forms within the programs. These are the two areas that require development immediately. However, this does not mean that I am perfect in all other aspects of study. They also require gradual development since I am average in most of them. I will ensure that I evaluate my abilities and weaknesses every month to determine whether I am improving in all areas. This will assist me in overall academic achievement in my field of study (Ellen 2013).
Conclusion
It has been difficult to determine my confidence level and filling in the evaluation report. This is because it is difficult to identify different weaknesses by myself since I have always felt that I am good in different aspects of education. However, the reflection has gone a long way in enabling me analyze and evaluate my confidence levels in education. I am now able to determine my abilities, strengths and weaknesses. I am also able to come up with a plan to improve on my weaknesses and other aspects which I have not yet achieved the highest levels. It has also enabled me realize my roles both as a student and a future health practitioner. The Gibbs (1988) model is important in this reflection since it gives what aspects I should consider. I can now focus on my first year in health education with adequate knowledge of my needs and requirements. This way, I will achieve my objectives not only higher education but also in my career as a nurse.
